FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube are definitely the top dogs when it comes to social networks, but it didn’t start there. There are hundreds of social networks on the internet. Some are very broad, like hi5 and Orkut, while others are very specific like Model Mayhem. Here are 3 social networks you should definitely know about:

1. hi5. hi5 is just like MySpace and FaceBook. It is catered towards teenagers and young adults and is very user friendly and safe. hi5 has been around just as long as MySpace has been around, and has millions of members. It is great for networking amongst friends and colleagues.
2. SoundClick. SoundClick is for musicians and you can upload and sell your music. It’s great for musicians who are trying to make their buzz bigger by allowing fans to hear all of their music. There is no upload limit, so you can just upload as many songs as you wish. It’s also a great place for listeners to find new music. SoundClick has charts, broken down to every niche genre, so you can find all the new music you want to.
3. LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social network catered to business professionals for networking. This is great for entrepreneurs and professionals who are looking for like-minded people to conduct business with. Whether you want to start a business, want consultation, or want to find a trading partner, LinkedIn is definitely the site you should be on if you are in business.

There are so many social networks popping up everyday. Ning.com allows users to create their own social networks on topics which they choose. Odds are that if you have an idea of a social network you would like to join, there is one available out there. A simple Google search should help you find it!

One of the great things about social networks is the friendliness it has towards artists. Soundclick and MySpace were the first to really be artist-friendly, but FaceBook tagged along afterwards. As artists, promotion is key. To gain fans, you must make sure that your work is out there and easily accessible. Social networks made it easy for artists to put their stuff out there to the public, and fans were able to pass it on to other fans, creating a chain reaction.

The first social network you should sign up as an artist for is MySpace. Whether you are an actor, musician, comedian, fashion designer, or whatever, MySpace is the first social network to sign up for. You can create your profile, put your portfolio/demo/reel up and start befriending like-minded people. This will help you network and get your name out there.

The second social network to sign up for is twitter. Once you are on twitter, you can start following people you admire, as well as start gaining followers. On twitter you can make announcements and get to know your fans better through micro-blogging. It is important that in this day you start a twitter account.

Lastly, make a FaceBook fan page. A FaceBook fan page will help you gather all your fans and act as a portfolio of your work. Your fans can see each other, befriend each other, and make your buzz bigger. It also helps you get to know your fans better and in the long run will help you with marketing.

Frequently update all of your social network profiles and stay active in the community. Engage in discussions with your fans and get to know them, this will help you make your buzz bigger and create loyal fans.

Make sure that on each social network profile, you provide a link to your other profiles. This will help you gain friends in all of your profiles and help you make your buzz bigger.